Jamil Wali allowed to keep teaching job after inappropriate emails to student

Jamil Wali, a mathematics teacher at King’s Leadership Academy in Liverpool, has been permitted to retain his teaching position following a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) tribunal. The tribunal investigated Wali for exchanging more than 200 emails with a vulnerable schoolgirl between January and March 2024.

The investigation found that the communications, which occurred during evenings, weekends, and as late as 11 p.m., went “well beyond” the expected boundaries of a teacher-pupil relationship. Wali used informal language such as “bro” and “mate,” discussed his own romantic history, and offered to help the student find a “perfect boyfriend.”

Wali admitted the contact was “excessive” and “inappropriate” but maintained the messages were not sexual in nature. He testified that his actions were motivated by concerns for the student's welfare and claimed he was unaware of specific requirements regarding contacting pupils outside of school hours. While the panel characterized the correspondence as “highly personal,” they concluded he still had a “positive contribution” to make to the teaching profession.